Significant concepts and emerging implications of technology, development of human capital, and visionary leadership can be applied to the design of vocational, technical, and occupational education to enable such education to meet the needs of today's information and service society. People without functional skills will be the technology…

A survey of the literacy proficiency of 1,500 Australian adults indicates that: (1) people who demonstrate some proficiency with using printed material should not be classified as illiterate; (2) appropriate rating scales should be developed for assessing adults' literacy skills; (3) more detailed analysis of the characteristics of those who…

This document discusses reasons for the current interest in workplace literacy and describes existing training for the workplace. Among the reasons for the interest in workplace literacy are changing demographics, which are altering the composition of the labor force, and changes such as the demise of the factory model in the workplace itself and…

The numbers of women with low literacy levels, the increased labor force participation of women, and increasing literacy requirements on the job make the case for the inclusion of a literacy component in employment programs for women. Such programs should strive to be comprehensive, learner-centered, flexible, standards-based, and linked to…

Representatives of the business community define workplace literacy according to how well informed are the spokespersons for business, how expansive is their view of the role of literacy, and the extent to which literacy bears on their firms' productivity. These elements affect business people's understanding of what constitutes workplace…

This document consists of a leader's guide that tells how to conduct a 1-day workshop and a workbook used by workshop participants to develop action plans to improve workplace literacy and the collaboration skills needed to implement those plans. It is intended that workshop participants should consist of 10-15 community members.) A memorandum in…

There are more than 4 million small businesses across the country that provide more than half of private sector employment, generate 47 percent of the gross national product, and generate two out of every three new jobs in the United States. Because small businesses provide the majority of new workers with their first work experience, they are at…

This volume, Interim Report No. 2 in a 3-year study, establishes the need for job-linked literacy programs that respond to technological and organizational change, outlines the character of successful programs, and demonstrates these programs' potential value. The volume is divided into two parts: report and case studies. The introduction to the…

Seven job-related basic skills identified as skills employers want are as follows: (1) learning to learn; (2) reading, writing, and computation; (3) oral communication and listening; (4) creative thinking and problem solving; (5) personal management, including self-esteem, goal setting, motivation, and personal and career development; (6) group…

This volume, Interim Report No. 1 in a 3-year study, recommends that employers who want to enlarge the pool of applicants for entry-level career-oriented jobs give serious attention to "vestibule training." The volume is divided into two parts: report and case studies. The report suggests that vestibule training programs can provide job candidates…

The Workplace Literacy Project conducted in Pima County, Arizona, provided workplace literacy training for 161 trainees at 8 worksites and 3 off-site locations. Worksites included industrial and service employers. Support services, including child care, transportation, educational counseling, and tutoring, were made available to participants…

Workplace literacy was the focus of attention during the era of the National Workplace Literacy Program (NWLP), funded by the U.S. Department of Education from 1988-1996. Since then, it has not disappeared, in part because recent legislation such as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and Welfare Reform Act has increased the work-related focus of…

This book analyzes the response of employees at a southern hospital to a functional context literacy program. It uses ethnographic techniques, storytelling, and observations of workplace relations to illustrate how classism, racism, and sexism continue to be part of the workplace environment and how these factors contribute to employees'…

The Workplace Skills Enhancement Project was provided by the Seattle-King County Private Industry Council in Partnership with the Employment Opportunities Center and the Refugee Federation Service Center. Of the 150 participants in the program, 137 were Asian. Workplace literacy training was generally advertised as a voluntary program available to…

This workbook accompanies an interactive videodisc used in the Working Smart workplace literacy project prepared for the hotel and food services industry in the Los Angeles, California area. The first instructional unit addresses preparing the work area, including stocking supplies and cleaning the work area. The second instructional unit covers…